A Duren Rumor, a Batum Goodbye, and the Sixers' Real Center…

By the 76ers Nightly Desk · Wednesday, September 23

Nothing that happened on the beat today came from inside the building: a Detroit center's situation and a retired forward's goodbye both got filtered through the 76ers' name. What's actually on Philadelphia's plate is a health clock, not a headline.

76ers Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

What's this Jalen Duren report actually about?

Sixer Sense's Justin Grasso wrote today that Detroit's drama with center Jalen Duren could work to the 76ers' benefit. That's outside speculation, not 76ers news, but it lands alongside separate items this week tying Ariel Hukporti and Atlanta's Henri Veesaar to Philadelphia's center market too. Three unrelated players, one recurring question: does Nick Nurse trust what he has behind Joel Embiid.

Is Adem Bona actually ready for camp?

Not yet. Bona is working back from a foot injury with an estimated return of Oct. 1, four days before the preseason opener against the Knicks on Oct. 5. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, nursing a finger injury, shares that same target date, which leaves Nurse guessing about his backup center and his starting shooting guard in the same week.

What's the Nicolas Batum story about?

Batum retired this week, and Sixer Sense reported his 76ers tenure ended with a regret attached to his name, not ours to diagnose from here. He logged bench minutes and locker-room seniority, nothing that changes the frontcourt math Nurse is actually solving. His exit is a headline on someone else's beat, not a 76ers transaction.

When do the Sixers actually take the floor?

Preseason opens Oct. 5 at home against the Knicks, then trips to the Nets on Oct. 8 and the Celtics on Oct. 10 and 16, before the regular season starts Oct. 20 at Madison Square Garden. New York ended each of the last two Sixers playoff runs, sweeping the second round last season, so that opener carries more weight than four preseason games usually do.

The verdictThe 76ers' actual news this week is health and depth, not the rumors orbiting other teams' centers.

When do the 76ers play their first preseason game this year?

Oct. 5, 2026, at home against the Knicks.

Is Adem Bona hurt heading into camp?

Yes, he's working back from a foot injury with an estimated return of Oct. 1, 2026.